Fine Gael speaking out of both sides of its mouth on taxation & water charges - Lynn Boylan

Sinn Féin Dublin EU candidate Lynn Boylan has accused Fine Gael of speaking out of both sides of its mouth on reducing taxation for the squeezed middle while pushing ahead with the introduction of water charges.

Speaking from the campaign trail, the Dublin EU candidate said:

“Families have had six successive austerity budgets which have resulted in less money in their pockets and increased charges for services.

“This year saw the introduction in full of the property tax, a truly regressive measure that has caused undue hardship particularly to those on lower incomes, the elderly and homeowners in mortgage distress.

“True to form Fine Gael Minister Michael Noonan is speaking out of both sides of his mouth when he talks of possible tax cuts whilst committing to taking a further two billion euro out of the economy in 2015.

“Sinn Fein’s 2014 Budget measures set out a suite of fair measures which if implemented would have increased tax revenues whilst protecting low and middle income earners.

“Time and again Fine Gael tells us that working families need a break, yet it is their government that is burdening citizens with regressive stealth taxes and increased costs.

“If Fine Gael is serious about reducing the taxation burden on the ‘squeezed middle’, government will reverse its decision to introduce water charges.”